Love Is
by Liselle129
Summary: Continuation of the story by .Lady.Meister her entry will be deleted. Aang finds Katara badly injured and must decide between love and revenge. Rated T for safety, mainly violent references. Sixth and final chapter posted!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: This is a story originally published by .Lady.Meister, which I am completing for her. I have left the title the same to make it easier for readers who were following it to find it. The first three chapters are hers. I have done no editing to them, other than combining some of the chapters together so that the lengths are more consistent and renaming them to reflect the consolidated material. I am trying to keep the theme that the chapter titles are ways to end the phrase beginning "Love is…."

**Love is...**

**Beautiful and Terrible**

Her beauty consumed him. Her soul devoured him. Her love controlled him. Her-

His thoughts were cut off by an ear-shattering scream that pierced the nighttime darkness. He bolted up in his sleeping bag.

"What in the four nations was that?" he muttered to himself as his scrambled up and shook the sleepiness that had almost overcome him. Out of habit, he looked over to her makeshift "bed", and noticed with horror that she was gone. Another scream erupted, this time coming from the inky blackness that filled the woods. Instantly, he set off running, dodging trees and jumping over decaying logs at lightning speed. Scream after scream split the air, making him run to the point where he was fairly flying.

Suddenly, the screams stopped. "No!" he yelled, trying to remember which direction the last scream came from. Finally he reached the clearing. What he saw made his heart stop and his blood run cold.

"KATARA!" he screamed her name as he ran over and gathered her unconscious self in his arms.

Despite his efforts, tears overflowed from his eyes in torrents as he examined her bruised and battered body. Her face was cut and bruised, and her right cheek had a deep, bloody gash. Her slight form was covered in blistering burns, gashes, bruises, and cuts. The blue night-robe she was wearing was almost completely soaked in blood. Now sobbing uncontrollably, Aang picked up her fragile figure, and held her close. He kissed her forehead, then started to run.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"C'mon, c'mon!" he muttered aloud, urging himself to run faster. His tears had long been dried, and his legs ached. It had felt like hours since he found her. But still, he ran, trying to find someone, anyone that could help him. Just when he thought it useless to keep going, he saw a rotten wooden sign. It read: KINGAMU, ½ MILE. He felt a burst of energy as he whizzed past the decayed marker with renewed hope.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Aang reached the rebel firebending city of Kingamu. Luckily, he had been there just the other day for food and supplies, so he slightly remembered the layout of the city. Vaguely, he remembered seeing a doctor's office over by Goti's Hardware. He hurried in the direction of the store, desperately hoping he wasn't too late.

_Ten minutes later..._

Dr. Komoling is IN. The sign out front welcomed Aang with bright red letters and renewed hope. Going in, he walked up to the table where the receptionist sat. "Excuse me? Miss? I need the doctor right away. It's an emergency!" The girl looked up. "Um, he's on his break right now," her eyes fell on Katara, her almost lifeless body hanging limp in Aang's arms, "but I can go see if he'll take you."

Aang's grateful yet tired smile was her only response. She left the room through a white curtain hanging from the ceiling. Aang sat down on one of the waiting benches, once again looking at Katara, who, miraculously, was still alive, even if only by a thread. He hoped and prayed that the doctor would have some sort of heart and agree to help them.

He bent down and kissed Katara's forehead just as the receptionist came back. "He'll see you now." Sending up a quick thank you to the gods, Aang hurried into the room the girl indicated.

_In the operating room..._

"Bring her here and lay her on the table." Aang did what he was told, then preceded to tell the doctor his story. After listening, the doctor put on a pair of gloves and agreed to do all he could. "But there_ is _a chance she might not live. By the looks of it," he paused, and looked at Katara, "she's lost a lot of blood."

With despair in his eyes, Aang answered. "I know, Doctor, but please, I, I love her, and I just want the chance to let her know." Despite himself, the doctor's eye's glistened with tears. "I understand. I'll try my best. Please go out and wait in the office." With that, he motioned Aang to the room he had previously been in.

_Back in the office..._

Both mentally and physically exhausted, Aang sat down in a chair and thought about the events of the previous few hours. "What if she..." he didn't even want to consider the thought. Overcome with fatigue, his head drooped, and his eyes, heavy with sleepiness, reluctantly closed.


	2. Chapter 2: Heartbreaking

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar, nor do I own this chapter, which was written and originally submitted by .Lady.Meister.

**Heartbreaking**

_Dream Sequence..._

_He silently watched her prepare breakfast. From behind the thick flaps of the tent curtains, his eyes followed her as she moved about, cleaning up and setting their makeshift "table". In the pot was one of Katara's favorites, beef stew, but in one of the two bowls on the "table" was freshly cut and tossed salad greens, with various vegetables mixed in. _

"She's so thoughtful."_ Aang murmured, smiling because Katara still remembered that her best friend was a vegetarian._

**And I'd give up forever to touch you**

**Cause I know that you feel me somehow**

"Hey Aang?" _She called his name, slightly startling him. He loved to hear her call his name. Quickly recovering, he answered. _"Yeah?" _He emerged from his tent, feigning a yawn. Katara looked up from her cleaning and frowned faintly. _"You weren't still sleeping, were you?" "No, no, not at all."_ He quickly reassured her. Her face softened as she smiled. _"Good. Could you help me with breakfast a little?"

_His face lit up with excitement. _"Sure! What do you need help with?" _He was happy to do anything when it meant being closer to her. _"Here,"_ she said, handing him a large wooden spoon, _"stir the stew. I have to go and get some more water."

"Okay." _He followed her with his eyes as she walked off to the small river that was conveniently located right beside their camp. Absent-mindedly stirring the stew, he fell into a daze, watching her gracefully move, her hands drifted upward, willing the water to follow. A stream of the sparkling fluid separated from the rest as she moved it about, playing with it a little before sending it into the bucket. He always loved to watch her bend her element. The water, when reflecting the sunlight as it surrounded her slender form gave her the appearance of an angel._

**You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be**

**And I don't wanna go home right now**

_He had to admit, he was hopeless in love with her, and nothing could make him feel otherwise. But the challenge with that was: _

_1. He was an air monk, and wasn't supposed to love anyone that way. (Which he thought was totally unfair, seeing he had no choice about the matter in the first place.)_

_2. He was also the Avatar, and was now currently on the top of the Fire Nation's most wanted list. If Zuko or any of his goonies found out that he felt for Katara that way, they would try to capture her and use her against him, or they might hurt her. Badly. _

**And I don't want the world to see me**

**Cause I don't think that they'd understand**

_Oh gods, he didn't know _what_ he would do if _that _happened._ _But there was no harm in telling _her_ right? His thoughts were interrupted when he saw Katara was now on her way back, carefully balancing a bucket of water. Aang quickly looked away and stared into the pot, relieved that he had not been caught, but embarrassed all the same, that he had, yet again, fallen into a daze while staring. _

"Is it ready yet?" _Katara was now next to him, her eyes expectant. His brain still foggy with thoughts, Aang responded. _"Huh? What?" "The stew, is it ready yet?" _She asked him again, this time, she had an "are-you-okay" looks on her lightly tanned face. _"Oh, uh, I'm not sure." _He checked the contents of the pot and took a deep whiff, not really knowing what he was doing. _

"Umm, I don't really know what meat stew is supposed to smell like when it's done, but I guess it's ready..." _She giggled at the confused look on his face. _"It's okay, Aang. I was just messing' with you." _Still bewildered, Aang backed away and sat down on a nearby log, leaving Katara to finish cooking. Again, he stared at her with wistful eyes. He scoffed silently at himself. "I'm so stupid." He thought. "I'll never be able to tell her I love her."_

_End Dream Sequence..._

He woke with a start, then winced as pain shot up and down his spine. "Ahh!" His mind was a blur as he tried to remember where he was and why he was there. Suddenly reality hit him smack in the face. He got up and started pacing, despite the pain in his back from sleeping too long in the hard wooden chair. He hadn't really thought much about it before, seeing he was in such a rush to get Katara to a doctor. Katara! He wondered how she was doing. He didn't want to disturb her just yet.

He was also too busy trying to figure out the problem at hand. The question he most wanted to know was who? He closed his eyes and rewound his mind back to when he first reached the clearing. He had briefly looked around before running over to Katara. Wait! What was that? Had he just seen a pair of deadly golden eyes glaring at him through the darkness of the trees? No, It couldn't be. He looked again. The eyes were gone, but he still sensed that he was being watched.

But _how_? He was puzzled as to how _he _could have possibly found out about his feelings for Katara. Abruptly, it hit him. _He _has spies all over. One of them could have seen something, then reported back. Aang cursed himself for not realizing it sooner. It had been _Zuko _that injured Katara. Why? Because she was loved by the Avatar, #1 target on the Fire Nation's most wanted list. Suddenly, it dawned on him. He stopped pacing, his eyes now wide open. "It's my fault!"

_Suddenly he stopped pacing, his eyes now wide open. _"It's my fault!"

Stunned, he sat back down. If it hadn't been for him, _stupid _him, Katara would be fine, instead of hanging on to her life by a thread.

Remorse, regret, anger, and indignation overwhelmed him. His arrows glowed lightly at the thought of Zuko.

An evil smile played across the boy's face as he thought of what he would do if he ever got his hands on that exiled, cowardly, bratty, sorry excuse of a Prince.

Suddenly a thought formed in Aang's mind. Why just _think _about what he would do? Why not search the coward down and kill him for what he did?

The smile on Aang's face grew to epic proportions as he considered the idea. He hesitated at first, not knowing for sure whether or not he should go.

This wasn't just any search-and-destroy mission. This was _the _search-and-destroy mission. Zuko was going to pay for what he did, and he would do it with his blood.

His mind now made up, Aang walk out the door of the waiting room and out into the cold night air.

He would do this for _her_, and he would _not_ fail.


	3. Chapter 3: Disastrous

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or this chapter, which is the last one originally posted by .Lady.Meister.

**Disastrous**

_Dream sequence… _

_Busy cleaning, Katara awaited the return of Aang, who was currently in the rebel firebending city of Kingamu getting supplies. Scrubbing out the overused black pot, Katara sighed, blowing a piece of stray hair out of her eyes. _

_She was tired of constantly having to be on the run because of Zuko. Just the thought of that name made her blood boil._ Zuko._ The coward had brutally murdered Sokka, apparently just for the sake of spilling innocent blood. _

_**Flashback… **_

"Sokka!"

Katara yelled, frantically trying to wiggle her way out of Zuko's iron grip, but to no avail. "Shut your mouth, peasant, before I shut it for you!" he hissed in her ear.

"No." she retorted, a petulant look on her pretty face.

Perturbed by her stubbornness, he drew his hand back to slap her, hoping the blow would shut her up. To his utter surprise, and annoyance, his hand, while still in mid-air, was struck by a sharp metallic object.

Hissing in pain, the firebender looked up, and saw none other than Sokka standing amidst the shadows, holding up a large calloused hand to catch the returning boomerang.

"Don't you dare touch my sister, you freak!" Roughly throwing Katara aside, Zuko got into a fighting stance, as did Sokka. Both warriors stood ready, Sokka poised with his boomerang and club, Zuko with his hands ablaze.

"Aaaarrraaahhhh!" Zuko shot a massive ball of fire at Sokka, who, thinking quickly, dropped to the ground, narrowly missing being burned alive.

Walking towards the rising water tribe warrior, the Prince let a smug grin grace his face. "You-" He began, but was cut off by a blow to the head by Sokka's club. Quickly recovering, the firebender scowled deeply.

"Why, you little _peasant_!" In an instant, Sokka's jaw came in contact with Zuko's boot toe, knocking him once again into the hard earth.

"Give up now and I'll spare your sister." Zuko compromised, his voice dripping with sarcasm.  
"Boy," Sokka chuckled, further aggravating the Fire Prince, "you really think I'm stupid, don't you?"

"Of course. Why else would I waste my time with you?" He retorted, kicking the air. An arch of white-hot flames trailed his foot, aiming straight for the water tribe boy. Seeing the fire, Sokka ducked, but the flames grazed his skin, burning him on the arms and hands.

He grunted, trying not to let the stinging from the blisters get to him. "If...if I go with you, will you leave my sister alone?" Katara gasped, her eyes wide in unbelief. "Sokka, NO!" He threw her an apologetic glance before once again facing the firebender.

"How will I know the Avatar will still come if it's only _you_?" Zuko finally replied, emphasizing the last word with a look of distaste. "Because... he will. Unlike _some _people, he actually cares about things other than _himself _and _his _problems." Sokka retorted, careful to put an extra ounce of hate in the emphasized words.

Unfazed by the insult, the Prince consented. "Hmm... okay, fine. Get moving. I don't have all day. Thanks to you and your stupid delays, the Avatar could be here any minute."

Turning to Katara, Sokka saw her grief-stricken face. "Sokka, what are you doing? You can't go..." Seeing her state of distress, he walked over to her side and knelt down, hugging her close. "It's okay. Don't worry, Tell Aang I'll be back. I love you." (_A.N- No incest intended_)

Impatient and getting angrier by the moment, Zuko shouted, "I said, LET'S GO!"

Throwing one last look at his sister, Sokka slowly followed the steaming Prince into the twilight lit woods, leaving Katara to take in all that had just happened.

_**One hour later... **_

After heading back to the camp, Katara had fallen asleep, tired from the day's events. She jolted up in her sleeping bag, for she swore she heard her brother's tortured scream from deep in the forest. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she listened intently, trying to catch even the faintest hint of the familiar voice.

There it was again! This time, Sokka's voice sound more anguished, more pain-filled. She jumped up, and without a moment of hesitation, shot off into the black woods.

_**Aang... **_

After looking with no avail for some decent food, he had stumbled into the rebel firebending metropolis of Kingamu. After questioning a vegetable merchant about the history of the city and why it was rebelling against its own country, he got the answer that some of the citizens of the Fire Nation had disagreed with the Fire Lord, and he had banished them. Soon after, others began to follow them, for they, too dissented the direction the Lord was taking in the war.

Satisfied that it was a safe city, he finished his purchases and began his trip back to the camp. Sokka would be happy, because since they had a little extra money, Aang decided to surprise him with some fresh fish.

It was getting dark, when he heard Katara's voice faintly echoing through the air. He stopped, thinking his mind was playing tricks, but heard her again, this time her voice more urgent.

Breaking into a run, he rushed back to the camp, desperately hoping she and Sokka were okay.

_**Katara...**_

"Sokka!" She yelled her brother's name, while scrambling through the woods, frequently tripping and falling over logs, sharp branches catching her blue robe and tearing her flesh.

Unmindful of her own injuries, her continued on, shouting Sokka's name, getting more and more tired, feeling exhaustion slowly overtaking her.

Finally stumbling into an unfamiliar clearing, she slowed to a walk, panting from her exertion. Suddenly she tripped over a large object, giving a small yelp as she fell to the ground.

Since it was dark, she only had the faint light of the stars to see, which didn't help much. She felt her way to what she had tripped over, and she froze.

It felt like a hand! She felt farther, and touched what felt like someone's face. Her heart stopped as she touched lower, to the neck of the cold body. There was a necklace with large, smooth, flat beads, suspiciously just like the one Sokka wore. Quickly but carefully removing the necklace, she ran her fingers along the backside, looking for evidence to confirm her fears.

Her hand suddenly touched an inscription in one of the beads. From countless times of playing with her brother's necklace when she was younger, she knew the feel of his name engraved on the back.

Immediately, she felt faint, knowing that her brother was gone. "Sokka! Why?" She turned her face towards the heavens, and shouted at the sky.

"Why did it have to be him? Why couldn't it have been me? Why?" She was now sobbing, tears running down her dark cheeks and drenching Sokka's torn and dirty clothing.

_**Aang...**_

After running at a heart-stopping pace, he reached the clearing. He faintly saw Katara's outline bent over something. _"Is that a_ body_?" _Aang thought, quickly taking in the sight.

He quietly walked over to Katara, and gently laid his hand on her shoulder. Surprised by his seemingly sudden presence, she jumped at his touch. "Katara, are you okay? Is something wrong? Where's Sokka?"

After listening to his torrent of questions, Katara turned her tear stained face towards his. "Aang... Sokka... he... he's g-gone."

Now completely bewildered, Aang gave her a confused look. "What do you mean, 'gone'? Did he leave or something?" Heartbroken at his apparent innocence, she tried again. "No, Aang. Sokka's d-dead. Someone killed him. I-I think it w-was Z-Zuko." Her tongue stumbled over the words, barely able to get them out.

Now crying himself, Aang knelt down and drew Katara into a tender hug. "I-I'm so sorry Katara. I should have b-been here." He mentally cursed himself for leaving the siblings alone, especially since they weren't near a sufficient water supply for Katara to defend herself.

She was sobbing on Aang's shoulder when cruel reality set in.

She was now in the arms of the only family she had left.

_**End flashback...**_

_Even though Aang had assured her several times and then some that it wasn't her fault, Katara still felt guilty. She thought that if it hadn't been for her, Sokka would still be alive. _

_A silent tear escaped her ocean blues eyes, falling amidst the wash water. It was slowly getting dark, and Aang still wasn't back. She looked up and saw a tiny white fleck in the distance. Never mind. There was Appa, and riding atop his large, furry head was her one true love._

_End Dream Sequence…_


	4. Chapter 4: Confusing

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar.

Author's note: This is the first of my own chapters. While I intend to follow the general outline given by .Lady.Meister, I am fleshing it out in my own style and changing a few details. I am trying to preserve the general mood and flavor of the original work.

**Confusing**

Aang got as far as their campsite before he changed his mind. It occurred to him that he had left Katara, alone and injured, among strangers. Besides, Zuko was still after Aang, as far as he knew. What if he tracked them to the village and found Katara? The thought of Zuko finding her while she was defenseless was like an iron grip around Aang's heart. He checked on Appa and Momo, picked up a few supplies and spare clothing, and returned to the doctor's office, where he tiredly seated himself once more. Shortly, the assistant came into the waiting room, looking harried.

"Oh, you're back!" She exclaimed. "Good. Your friend's awake. She's been asking for you."

Aang leapt up anxiously and followed the woman into the operating room. The assistant then left them alone. Katara's damaged clothing had been removed, and she was covered only by a light blanket. Her bandaged face was pale under her dark skin, and Aang swallowed at how vulnerable she looked. Hearing him enter, Katara turned her head to see him.

"Aang," she said softly.

"I'm here, Katara," he said. He quickly put down the things he'd brought and crossed the room. He took her hand gently. His voice remained soft but took on a darker tone. "Don't worry; I'll get back at Zuko for doing this to you."

"No," Katara whispered, bringing Aang up short. Certainly, he would do – or not do – whatever she asked, but he didn't understand. He looked at her questioningly.

"Azula," she explained. It took all of Aang's self-control to not grip her hand more tightly in his renewed burst of anger.

"I'll go after her, then," he promised.

Katara nodded slightly.

"Water," she requested. Aang looked around and saw a pitcher standing on the counter behind him. He reluctantly released her hand to go and get it. When she held out her hands, he realized what she wanted and was surprised he hadn't thought of it himself. Naturally, she could heal herself, at least partially. He bent some of the water over to her. Katara held it between her hands, making it glow. Then she gestured for him to pull back the cover.

"Katara," he said, uncomfortable with this. She didn't speak but merely looked at him pleadingly. He couldn't refuse her, so he obediently went to her and drew back the blanket. The blood rushed to his face at the thought of her body, but it drained away again at the sight of all the bandaging, some of it already soaking through. Knowing that she needed skin contact, he gingerly pulled away some of the cloth coverings, leaving her chest bound. Katara spread the healing water across her stomach, closing the wounds and causing them to fade.

"What are you doing?" exclaimed the doctor, who had just walked in. Aang started, a little guiltily.

"She's a Waterbender," he explained quickly. "She can heal herself."

"Oh," the doctor said absently, gazing amazedly at the results of Katara's work.

"My face," Katara said then, a little more strongly than before. She tried to sit up, but Aang rushed to prevent her. He gently removed the bandage over the cut on her face and gave her more water to heal it. The doctor looked on in silence as the gash closed and faded, leaving only a thin, white scar.

"Incredible," he murmured at last. "Why didn't she just do that before?"

"She has to be conscious," Aang pointed out. "And it takes a certain amount of strength."

Even as he spoke, Katara relaxed back into the table and allowed her eyes to drift shut. Aang covered her body again and looked at her in concern. Water-healing couldn't do much about broken bones or internal bleeding, and it couldn't help her replenish the blood she had lost. Whatever he decided to do, she needed rest and care. He looked back to the doctor.

"I have…something I need to do," Aang said determinedly. "I might be gone several days. Can I give you some money and leave you with her?"

"Of course. We can agree on a fair price when you get back."

Aang was surprised that he wouldn't want some payment in advance, but before he could question the doctor about it, he had left the room again.

"Katara, there's something I need to tell you," Aang said softly, taking her hand once more. "Even if you can't hear me, I want to say that…I love you."

With that, he kissed her gently on her newly-healed cheek and began to leave. When he rose up, her pale blue eyes regarded him steadily. He gasped, realizing that she had heard his confession.

"Aang," she whispered. "Come closer."

Aang obeyed, leaning over her once more. To his surprise, Katara raised her head slightly and pulled him to her, touching her lips to his. It was brief and gentle, but the emotion expressed in this first kiss was enough to make Aang's knees feel weak. When Katara released him, a mysterious smile played around her mouth.

"I love you, too," she said. "Now go get her."

Aang nodded his agreement to her. Although torn between thoughts of love and revenge, he knew he had to stop Azula. Besides, he had his orders from the only authority that mattered.

Author's Note: Well, how did I do? I did make some assumptions about water-healing, which I find fascinating. I hope that we'll learn more about it in the series. It may be some time before I get the next chapter posted. I intend to have some action, which is not necessarily my strong suit. In the meantime, reviews would be appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5: Motivating

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar.

Author's note: I'm assuming that Aang has pretty well mastered both waterbending and earthbending in this story.

**Motivating**

Aang returned to the campsite one more time and allowed Appa and Momo to eat as he quickly packed up. Realizing that it was nearly midday and he hadn't eaten anything since the previous evening, Aang also munched on some fruit and nuts. Then he flew Appa to the clearing where he had found Katara.

The area wasn't hard to identify, thanks to all the scorched trees and the drying pool of Katara's blood. Aang's stomach turned when he saw how much it was, and he quickly averted his eyes. The sight steeled his resolve, though, and his lips thinned in determination.

Azula had apparently made no effort to hide her escape route. Doubtless, she had been in too much of a hurry. Aang's mouth twisted into a grim smile. She had good reason to fear the Avatar's pursuit. He followed her trail a short distance to make certain of the general direction she'd taken, then took to the skies once more. Azula had a few hours' lead, but he had the advantage of flight.

Even so, it took him until the next morning to catch up with her. He spotted her on the side of a mountain, trying to hide between rocky outcroppings and sparse trees. Aang instructed Appa to land some distance away from Azula while he leapt off and used his glider to settle gently to the ground, just out of sight. Collapsing it into a staff once more, he advanced on her position.

It wasn't really Aang's style to sneak up on or ambush someone, but he decided that he would at least throw her off-balance – literally – before he showed himself. Accordingly, when he was approaching Azula's position, he used earthbending to raise up the earth underneath her, tossing her out of cover. She recovered quickly, though, regaining her feet and sending out lightning bolts, blindly at first. Then, she spotted him and took actual aim.

"So the Avatar is alone at last," she taunted as he dodged. "I admit I'm impressed. I thought you'd still be busy mourning your little girlfriend."

Aang tried not to listen to her, knowing that words were part of her combat strategy. To Azula, Aang's capacity for affection was a weakness to be exploited. He did smile a little to himself, however, when he realized that his opponent didn't know that Katara had survived. He sent blasts of air at the fire princess, keeping her moving.

"She wasn't as easy to dispatch as her idiot brother," Azula confessed, leaping with deadly grace and shooting flames from her fingertips. Aang's inner smile disappeared as he realized what she was saying. Giving a wild battle cry, he soared up on a gust of wind and landed on her, knocking her down. He brought his staff up under her chin.

"You killed Sokka?" he whispered angrily. Azula's twisted smile was his only response. Then she wrapped one leg around his body and flipped him. Suddenly, she was over him, creating a ball of fire in one hand while she held him down with the other.

"He was weak, just like my brother. And so are you."

Without warning, a jet of flame came from Aang's right and blasted Azula off of him. Aang leapt up quickly, shooting a gust of air to knock Azula farther back and adding a localized dust storm for good measure. Having bought a little time, he looked over to see a familiar, scarred face emerging from a clump of trees.

"Zuko? You're helping me?"

Prince Zuko kept his eyes on the dust cloud, listening to his sister's coughs as she struggled to find her way out.

"I can't let Azula win," he said simply, taking up a ready stance. Aang considered this.

"So the enemy of my enemy is my friend?" the Avatar asked. Zuko's eyes flickered briefly toward him.

"For now," he conceded.

Aang shrugged. It wasn't the first time Zuko had helped him out of trouble, but Aang never expected he would do so against his own family. There was no time for further discussion, anyway, because Azula came out of the cloud, shooting lightning to cover her exit. Zuko and Aang dodged her, responding with attacks of their own. She had a difficult time avoiding two sets of attacks, and they were able to hit more often than either might have alone.

Aang stomped the ground and opened a crack in the ground, starting at his feet and widening to reach her. She moved, but not quite fast enough – one of her feet got caught. Zuko sent flames at her; she threw her own wall of flame to stop them. Aang brought the earth up around Azula, encasing her in rock up to her chest. She had raised her hands above her head, so they were still free, but her movements were severely limited.

Both of the boys jumped forward to press their advantage. Zuko grasped Azula's wrists and pulled her hands together behind her back.

"She's mine," Zuko informed the Avatar. "We have some old scores to settle."

"Wait a minute," Aang argued. "She killed my friend and tried to kill the girl I love."

Azula abruptly stopped struggling.

"She lives?" she snarled.

"Yes, she's alive," Aang replied, allowing himself a smirk. He took the opportunity of her distraction to fashion rock bonds, gradually growing them out of the rock that encased her and wrapping them around as Zuko carefully let go. While Aang worked, he decided to goad her a little. "Maybe I should actually thank you. If you hadn't horribly injured Katara, we might never have admitted that we love each other."

Azula let out a primal scream of rage and frustration. She twisted her shoulders, trying to break free, only to find that her hands were now being held by something stronger than her brother. Aang then looked at the Fire Prince, who met his gaze.

"She'll be appropriately punished," he assured Aang. "I'm taking her in dishonor to the Fire Lord. Trust me, there's nothing worse."

"You can't go back without the Avatar!" Azula spat.

"You got in my way," Zuko replied easily, as though rehearsing. "I could have had him if it weren't for you." His sister just stared at him in disbelief.

"He'll never believe that!"

"That's where you're wrong. Father will always believe whoever proves they're stronger. At the moment, you're the one who's bound."

"Just one thing," Aang interrupted the sibling spat. He didn't really want to capture Azula, anyway; what would he do with her? Despite everything, he couldn't bring himself to kill her. All he wanted was to make sure she wouldn't come after them again. He walked over to her and rapped her sharply on the forehead with the end of his staff, snapping her head back and leaving a red welt. "That was for Sokka."

The Avatar then released Azula from the rock, except for a block around her feet. He reasoned that it would be very difficult for her to perform any firebending without being able to move her limbs.

"She's all yours," he offered Zuko, who promptly picked up his sister and slung her across his shoulders, ignoring her curses and threats.

"Until next time, Avatar."

Aang watched after him, hoping the prince had a better mode of transportation available somewhere. That rock was going to get very heavy in short order. Shrugging, he whirled his staff back into a glider and launched into the air to meet up with Appa again.

Author's Note: Yeah, I added a little twist there. I know some people might say Zuko's out of character, but again, this is some time in the future, so I figure he'll have decided his sister's a bigger threat than Aang. Just one more chapter to wrap it up, and I hope it's up to .Lady.Meister's expectations.


	6. Chapter 6: Hopeful

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar.

**Hopeful**

Aang came back at last to the village where he'd left Katara. Over the doctor's objections, he had left a small amount of money with the assistant, at least what he thought would be enough to provide Katara's food for a few days. Because of that, he felt justified in going in to see his love before settling accounts.

Katara had been moved from the examining/operating room to a smaller room at the back of the building, designed for recuperating patients. As soon as she spotted Aang in the doorway, she jumped up and nearly bowled him over, throwing her arms around him. In fact, he had to use just a little airbending to keep his feet under him.

"So, I guess you're feeling better," he said laughingly, regaining his balance and returning her embrace. He inhaled the familiar fragrance of her hair. She had apparently been combing it out in preparation for re-braiding, and it hung loose around her face.

"Yes," she answered, then pulled back a step to survey him. "How are you? You look okay."

"I'm fine," he replied, enjoying looking at her as well. For a moment, Aang simply took in the sight of the beautiful girl before him. He reached up a hand to move the hair gently back from her left cheek. Aang had been daydreaming of kissing Katara again, but now that he was actually here with her, he hesitated.

_Oh, just do it,_ Aang told himself sternly. Before he could think any more, he closed the distance between them, meeting his lips to hers. To his relief, she responded eagerly, as though she had only been waiting for him to take the initiative.

The kiss lasted an eternal moment, and now that Aang was no longer so worried about Katara, he was able to relax and enjoy it more. He pulled her as close as he dared, acutely conscious of every place their bodies touched. By the time they broke away, he had the strange sensation of floating without the aid of airbending. The two simply stared into each other's eyes for a while. At last, Katara smiled at him and spoke again.

"So, what happened?" she asked, sitting down on the bed and picking up the comb she had laid aside at his entry.

"Can I try that?" Aang wondered, pointing to the comb. He grinned shyly. "I've never had the chance to comb a girl's hair before."

"Okay." She shrugged, handing him the comb. Aang sat behind her on the bed, laying her tresses out like a cascade in front of him. Her dark hair was thick and slightly coarse. Handling it was an oddly sensual experience as he carefully ran the comb through, gently pulling at the tangles as he reached the bottom. Abruptly, Katara interrupted his preoccupation. "You still have to tell me your story, though."

He obliged, relating how he found Azula and what happened after that. Katara only interrupted occasionally with questions or comments. When the story was finished, Katara took the comb back and ran it through her hair a few times. Then she worked on braiding it.

"I'm glad you didn't kill her," Katara said thoughtfully. "If you ever have to cross that line, I'd hate for her to be the reason. She's not worth it. I wouldn't want to be the reason, either," she added after a pause.

"She killed Sokka, too," Aang confessed quietly, having left that part out of the story. Katara bit her lip and looked down.

"I thought so. She hinted as much when I fought her."

All at once, Katara collapsed into tears, as though she only now felt herself at leisure to grieve the loss of her brother. Aang held her until the crying ran its course, his own eyes stinging. Sokka and Katara were the only family he had known since waking up from his century of hibernation. Finally, Katara's sobs subsided and she pulled back, wiping at her eyes and sniffling.

"I'm sorry," she apologized softly.

"Don't be," Aang responded. He wanted to say something more, tell her that it was right to grieve for someone you loved, but he couldn't find the words. Instead, he said, "Ready to get out of here?"

She smiled gratefully at him and nodded. He kissed her gently on the forehead, then went back out to the front room to pay the doctor for his services. When Aang came back to get Katara, she had composed herself and finished braiding her hair. They packed up the few belongings she had with her and went to find Appa and Momo.

"So, what do we do now?" Aang asked her when they were on Appa's back, ready to take flight.

"What we were always going to do," Katara said with quiet determination. "Find you a firebending teacher and prepare you to face the Fire Lord. Let's end this."

She was staring straight ahead, and Aang regarded her for a long moment. She seemed a little older and sadder than she had been a few weeks ago. For all he knew, the same could be said of him. Aang wondered if Katara regretted leaving her home, dragging her brother with her to join the Avatar's quest. He didn't have the courage to ask her.

Still, her perseverance made her somehow even more beautiful. Gazing silently at the girl he loved, Aang knew that he was exactly where he wanted to be. He could only hope that she would feel the same way, if he did ever dare ask. He set his jaw in grim resolve. If he had anything to say about it, no one in the world would have to suffer under the yoke of war much longer. He climbed to Appa's head and took the reins.

"Yip yip," he commanded, and the companions, diminished in number but strengthened by love and adversity, flew off to meet their destiny.

Author's Note: Yeah, kind of bittersweet, but then it is partially classified as angst. I know it ended sort of quickly, but I'm not one to pad with words just for bulk. Hope you enjoyed it. I will now focus on a happier, funnier story I've been working on. Watch for Avatar in Training, coming soon to a computer near you.


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